Articulated snowplow shoe



March 18, 1969 J. A. MYERS 3,432,948

ARTICULATED SNOWPLOW SHOE Filed July 20, 1966 JOSEPH ALBERT MYERS United States Patent 3,432,948 ARTICULATED SNOWPLOW SHOE Joseph Albert Myers, RD. 4, Rome, N.Y. 13440 Filed July 20, 1966, Ser. No. 566,560 US. CI. 37-42 2 Claims Int. Cl. E01h /06; B62m 27/02 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A snowplow subframe has a cross member which is disposed at an angle to the line of travel and has spaced bushings pendently secured thereon. The bushings have bores axially aligned parallel to the cross member. Each shoe has a plate to which the shoe is removably secured and the plate has upstanding support means interfitting between the bushings with a bore aligned with the bushing bores and at an angle to the line of travel of the shoe. A shaft in the bores pivotally connects bushings and support means and the cross member limits the rocking of the shoes.

This invention relates to an articulated shoe for snowplows and more particularly to a device for pivotally securing the shoe to the plow subframe so that the shoe can rock fore and aft with respect to the subframe when it encounters an irregularity in the roadway.

Snowplows, of the type which are pushed in front of a truck or other vehicle, have a share or moldboard disposed diagonally with respect to the path the vehicle travels and supported above the road surface by a subframe. Flat shoes of hardened steel are provided on either Side of the subframe in contact with the road surface and, since they wear out rapidly, are removably attached to bolts to a flat plate welded to the subframe.

When a shoe encounters a small irregularity in the road surface it cannot change its horizontal disposition with respect to the subframe so that its forward edge cuts into any upwardly projecting irregularity or into the road surface following a depression into which the shoe has passed. The subframe is connected to the vehicle and when the vehicle passes over a rise the subframe is tilted with the result the shoes are also tilted so that their front edges may cut into the road surface.

The principal object of the invention, accordingly, is to provide a device for securing the shoes to the subframe to permit a front to rear rocking motion of the shoe with respect to the frame.

Another important object is to provide means in connection with the device to prevent more than a limited rocking movement.

Still another object is to provide such a device which is economical to manufacture, easily installed, and which 0 may be applied to existing plows.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevatioanl view of a portion of a vehicle with snowplow attached and incorporating the device of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device prior to its connection to the shoe or the subframe;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of a portion of the device showing its connection to a portion of the subframe; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the device of FIGURE 2.

In the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a vehicle having a push frame 11 secured thereto. Forward of the vehicle a subframe 12 resting on shoes 13, only one being visible in the figure, is connected to the vehicle by rearwardly projecting arms 14 pivotally secured to the push frame.

The plowshare or moldboard 15 is pivotally connected, by means not shown, along its lower portion to the front end of subframe 12 so that the angle of share 15 with respect to the vertical may be adjusted by means of a conventional variable length adjusting link device 16. The share 15 is disposed horizontally at an angle about 45 degrees to the direction of travel of vehicle 10, the subframe being generally triangular so that its forward end is aligned with the share.

An hydraulic lift device 17 may be provided on the push frame 11 for lifting subframe 12 by means of the chain 18.

An inverted angle cross member 19 is usually provided across the forward end of subframe 12, its forwardly projecting leg bearing the connecting means between share and subframe. Member 19 may project from either side of subframe 12 as shown or may be coextensive with the remaining portions of the forward end of subframe 12. At either end of the member 19, a shoe 13 is rockably secured by means of device 20 shown in FIGURES 2 and 4.

The device 20 comprises a flat plate 21 provided with holes 22 through which studs or bolts projecting up from shoe 13 may pass for securing the shoe to the plate. Welded to the top of plate 21 are two upstanding ears or journal members 23 and a tubular spacer 24 is welded between the cars 23 as shown. Holes are drilled through cars 23 in alignment with the bore of spacer 24 so that members 23 and 24 become journal means for a shaft 25 passing therethrough.

Means are provided for securing device 20 to the angle member 19, comprising the two tubular support bushings 26 which are welded to the bottom of member 19 between the two webs or legs of the angle as plainly shown in FIGURE 3. Bushings 26 are spaced apart along member 19 sufliciently to allow the upwardly projecting ears 23 and connecting spacer 24 to be aligned between the bushings for connection thereto by sliding shaft 25 through the aligned bores of bushings 26 and spacer 24.

Each shaft 25 is in alignment with cross member 19 and the forward end of subcarriage 12 but ears 23 are diagonally disposed on plates 21 as shown in FIGURE 2. Pivotal movement of each plate 21, therefore is about the shaft 25 but the rectangular plates 21 and their attached shoes 13 are disposed with their length in alignment with the direction of movement of vehicle 10 and are capable of a rocking movement up and down as shoes 13 pass over minor irregularities in the road surface.

Each ear 23 has a vertically disposed edge 23a and a sloping edge 23b oppositely disposed on each plate 21, as shown. It will be apparent that the rocking movement of plate 21 about the shaft 25 will be limited in either direction by the sloping edge 23b of one or another of the ears striking one or the other web of the angle member 19. The total pivotal movement is of the order of 15 degrees. Shoes 13, therefore, are prevented from rotating at any time to a position approaching the vertical and causing damage to either the shoe or the road surface.

A bolt 27, or other means such as a cotter pin, passing through one of the bushings 26 and the shaft 25 of each device 20 may be provided for securing shaft 25 in the bushings 26, and an oil hole 28 may be provided in spacer 24. An access hole 29 (FIG. 3) for bolt 27 and an access hole 30 (FIG. 1) to the oil hole 28 through the angle member 19 are provided for each device 20 for assembly and convenient lubrication of the movable parts.

In operation, when the subframe 12 is lowered with shoes 13 in contact with the road, the shoes are capable of following the contours of the road surface. They can tilt up to follow the contour of an upstanding irregularity in the road surface and can tilt downward and then upward when they ride into a depression. Furthermore, when the front of vehicle is raised by reason of the vehicle passing over a rise in the road and the subframe is thereby tilted, shoes 13 are not tilted because they are capable of a fore and aft rocking motion with respect to the subframe.

As will be apparent to those familiar with the art, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The embodiment disclosed therefore is to be considered in all respects as illustrative rather than restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a snowplow having a share disposed at an angle to the fore and aft path of travel of the plow and supported on a subframe having shoes adapted to slide along the surface being plowed, the subfrarne having an in verted angle cross member parallel to the share; a device for supporting the subframe on each shoe, comprising: spaced bushings pendently secured to the cross member angle between the Webs thereof and having aligned bores, 21 fore and aft extending plate to which the shoe is removably secured, support means secured upstanding on the plate interfitting between the spaced bushings and having a bore therethrough aligned with the bushing bores, and a shaft member in said bores pivotally connecting the support means and the bushings, whereby each shoe is capable of a fore and aft rocking movement with respect to the subframe, the support means being so dimensioned as to be engageable with the webs of the cross member angle to limit the rocking movement of the shoes to a small angle of movement.

2. In a snowplow having a share disposed at an angle to the fore and aft path of travel of the plow and supported on a subframe having shoes adapted to slide along the surface being plowed, the subframe having a cross member parallel to the share; a device for supporting the subframe on each shoe, comprising: bushings spaced along and pendently secured to the cross member and having aligned bores, a fore and aft extending plate to which the shoe is removably secured, support means secured upstanding on the plate interfitting between the spaced bushings and having a bore therethrough aligned with the bushing bores, and a shaft member in said bores pivotally connecting the support means and the bushings, whereby each shoe is capable of a fore and aft rocking movement with respect to the subframe, the support means being so dimensioned as to be engageable with the cross member to limit the rocking movement of the shoes to a small angle of movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 535,851 3/1895 Olson 280-26 2,611,979 9/1952 Weller 37-4l 2,877,573 3/1959 Kenyon 3742 3,217,431 11/1965 Heinzroth et a1 3742 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner.

EUGENE H. EICKHOLT, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 28026 

